“When my season ended, there was a lot of talk about adding guys. I literally did not really care because I want to get better,” Embiid said during a conference call Wednesday from Johannesburg, South Africa. “I want to be better than those guys that were mentioned, if I’m not already better than them.”

The goals for the Sixers’ franchise player are clear, though not easily reached: Become a better player, make it to the NBA Finals, win the MVP, and help spread the game of basketball.

“I want to win the MVP. I feel like at the end of the day it might be an individual award, but when I play better, the team also does,” Embiid said. “I feel like if I’m an MVP candidate or if I win the MVP, that means we are on another level.”